Vertical Cucumber Frames

 We are going to try growing our cukes up this year. I built some cheap frames from 1" PVC and some concrete wire mesh.

The mesh is just zip-tied to the frame. Next step: planting the last of the garden!

spring sickies

I shouldn't have bragged that we had good luck avoiding sickness all winter long. Apparently we are getting walloped with the back log. Everything from Swimmer's Ear, upper respiratory infections, intestinal troubles, chest colds, migranes... it's been a bad couple of weeks/months.

That said, spring has arrived! At least while we are grumpy inside, the garden is coming back to life outside. And there are some fun smart phone camera apps to play with.

Egg cartons essploding

We started some pumpkins, sunflowers and sweet peas (think big easy-to sow stuff for a 2 year old), more to help Bennett get enthusiastic about the work ahead of us in the garden, but he is enthralled with the plants on our windowsill. Who knew some old egg cartons and a bit of time could be so awesome?

Sunflowers!

Pumpkins!

The little tray of wild seedlings, nestled in their pizza box liner...

Score!

I've been jonesing for a few sewing books lately, and found that many were not available through our local library. So, I finally indulged a couple weeks ago. I really lucked out and scored this awesome book at my local Half Price Books... and the patterns were still in it!


Heather Ross is a tremendous illustrator and fabric designer, and I keep hoping the baby will be a girl so I can make MOUNDS of these:
And even if it's a boy, I've got some fabric lined up to make several pairs of these from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book:
Then there's this awesome pattern for a quilted sleeper, also in Handmade Beginnings.

Maybe this is what that scrappy pile of fabric will turn into!

Dirty Dirt Dirt

As spring quickly approaches it is time to get back outside and boot up the garden. Our first task this year was to fill the raised beds that little B and I built frames for last year.

This job requires three things:

Dirt

Manpower

and Wheelbarrow Rides!!!

A special thanks to Jake, Sarah, Finn, Colleen, Andy, Uncle Scott, and Opa Pratt for all their hard work. Need more Bennett and Finn pictures? Visit Speedville.

Bockfest!

Unfortunately the rain prevented us from attending the Bock Fest parade and crowning of the Sausage Queen... and some cranky selves (we have a houseful around here) battling lingering head/chest colds that we all thought were done and gone.

Oh, well! We'll have to toast a round of Bock Beer at home this year. And watch Jake Speed's annual commercial on You-tube.